


A Flame In Two Cupped Hands

by skieswideopen



Category: The Invisible Library - Genevieve Cogman
Genre: Case Fic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-19 15:27:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17004249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skieswideopen/pseuds/skieswideopen
Summary: Vale asks Irene and Kai for help with a case involving old friends.





	A Flame In Two Cupped Hands

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dirty_diana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirty_diana/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, dirty_diana! I hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Set between the end of the fourth book, _The Lost Plot_ , and the beginning of the fifth book, _The Mortal Word_. There are no spoilers for _The Mortal Word_.
> 
> Thank you to Brightknightie, my excellent and very patient beta reader. She's marvellous, and all remaining errors are my own.

Irene climbed out of the cab and immediately tightened her scarf against the brisk November wind. Autumn had swept into London accompanied by unseasonably cold temperatures--among the worst in living memory, according to the newspapers--and that, combined with the city's usual drizzle, had created a kind of damp chill that no amount of clothing could keep out. Irene usually enjoyed the changing seasons, which were still something of a novelty to her after her years in the Library, but a two-week mission to the tropics of G-491 had wiped out whatever acclimatization to the cold she'd previously possessed. Fortunately, it was only a short walk from the street to Vale's lodgings, where she knew a warm fire and hot tea--or better, a hot toddy--would be waiting for her.

Vale's housekeeper was at the door almost as soon as Irene rang. She greeted Irene cordially, commenting on the unpleasant weather, and sent her up to Vale's rooms with the promise that a warm drink would soon follow and the news that Mr. Vale was out but Mr. Strongrock was in.

Irene hurried up the stairs as fast as her long skirt allowed, aware that her smile was ridiculously broad but wholly unable to do anything about it. While she was always pleased to see Vale, time alone with Kai had become a precious commodity since he had resigned his apprenticeship and moved out of their shared rooms, and even a few minutes of privacy was something to be treasured.

As she knocked and pushed open the door, Irene couldn't help but appreciate the irony of the situation: The very events that had left them free to pursue a closer relationship had also made the logistics of doing so more difficult. Kai could scarcely visit her at home while still claiming detachment from Irene and the Library, and both local mores and the need for public distance made getting a hotel room together ill-advised, if not outright impossible.

Then, of course, there was also the small matter of figuring out exactly where she wanted to take their relationship--and how far it could realistically go. Eventually, decisions would have to be made. But not yet.

She was barely across the threshold when she was swept up in an enthusiastic embrace. Still smiling, Irene tiled her head up and was rewarded with a kiss warm enough to wipe away all lingering traces of the cold. After a moment--too short a moment!--Kai pulled back, hands still resting on her arms, smiling almost as widely as she had been.

"You're back! How was G-491?" His pleased expression shifted to concern as he caught sight of the bandage peeking out from beneath her left sleeve. "What happened? Are you all right?"

Irene stepped forward, closing the gap between them, and slid a hand around the back of Kai's neck. "Later," she said firmly, tugging his head down. After all, it wasn't that serious, she told herself. She'd simply gotten a little too used to having backup on missions and needed to re-adjust to working alone.

Then she gave herself over to the kiss and Kai's hands and stopped thinking about anything else.

They were interrupted a few minutes later by a discreet knock that gave them just enough time to pull apart before Vale's housekeeper entered with Irene's yearned-for hot toddy, and another for Kai. She stayed long enough to confirm that they had sufficient fuel for the fire, commenting again on the cold, then left after telling them to call on her if they wanted another round of drinks.

Irene took advantage of the interruption to tug off her outerwear. "How long until Vale comes back?" she asked, pulling off her gloves and unwinding her long scarf.

Kai smoothly relieved her of each item as she removed it, somehow managing to balance her cloak, hat, scarf and gloves without dropping any of them. "He didn't say. He left right after the noon mail arrived and I haven't heard from him since."

It was nearly four o'clock, according to Irene's wristwatch. "So he could be back any minute," she said, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"He could," Kai agreed. He'd hung up her things, and was now looking at her as if to commit the sight of her to memory, gaze trailing down her body in way that made her shiver pleasantly and left her wishing that Vale would called away on an urgent case that took him outside of London for a night. Maybe two.

For just a moment, she considered risking it. She was in a skirt, after all, and if they left their clothes on--but no, walking in on that would be poor payback to Vale for his hospitality, something he certainly didn't deserve. Besides, she didn't want to be rushed.

She could almost see Kai follow the same train of thought and arrive at the same conclusion. With a slightly rueful look, he picked up their drinks from where the housekeeper had set them down and handed one to her.

"So what happened on G-491?" he asked as they moved to the sofa, legs still lightly brushing but otherwise quite decorous. "Are you really all right?"

"I'm fine," Irene said reassuringly. "It's just a scrape." Well, a minor laser burn, but the doctor she'd seen hadn't seemed too concerned; she'd just prescribed some antibiotic ointment and told Irene to change the bandage regularly. "It will heal in no time."

"I don't like that you have to go out on your own."

It was a discussion they'd had before, and one that would have irritated Irene substantially if an underlying wistfulness to Kai's tone hadn't suggested that it was more about missing his own time with the Library than about doubting her abilities. Well, that and general dragon protectiveness. Which was still irritating in its own way, even if it was well-intentioned.

"I managed on my own for years, remember?" she said. "I have a lot more experience with that than I do working with other people." Partly because there were too few Librarians to routinely partner them up on missions, and partly because, before she'd met Kai, she hadn't had anyone whom she'd trusted to watch her back in the field.

"I know that," Kai said. "And I know you can take care of yourself. It's just--"

Whatever he was going to say next was lost as the door swung open and Vale shambled in. Or at least Irene assumed it was Vale, although the shabby, slouching figure in front of them bore little resemblance to the Great Detective she was used to. As the two of them watched, the figure straightened, stretched, and ran his hand down his face. When his hand fell away, the Vale they recognized was standing there.

"Winters," he said. "You're here. Good." He began unwrapping his outer layers, indistinct grey-brown garments that Irene couldn't quite make out the shape of.

"Is there a new case?" Irene asked, watching in fascination as he completed the transformation back into himself.

"Of a sort." Vale thrust the bundle of clothing into a closet, poured himself a glass of brandy, and sank into the armchair across from them. "I was hoping I could impose upon the two of you to assist me, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

A buzz of excitement raced through Irene, energizing her to the tips of her fingers and toes. She didn't think she would ever tire being invited to work with Vale. She leaned forward a little on the sofa, trying not to be too obvious in her eagerness. "I think the Library owes me a little time off."

"You know I'm at your service, Vale," Kai said. "What do you need?"

Vale downed a generous mouthful of brandy from his glass, then lowered it again, cradling it in his lap. "Some old friends of mine are getting married. They recently informed me that some unknown party wishes to keep the wedding from happening."

Irene felt a flicker of surprise; she couldn't recall Vale ever mentioning old friends before. But then, he rarely spoke about his early life, possibly because of his ongoing estrangement from his family. The absence of information made it easy to forget sometimes that however much Vale might resemble a certain fictional Great Detective, he was not, in fact, an archetype sprung from pure imagination, but a real man, with all of the history and connections and complications that went along with that.

Her curiosity must have shown on her face because Vale added, in brief explanation, "Friends from university. Ian Keir and Ada Claremont."

Of course the brilliant future Earl of Leeds would have gone to university, Irene realized, and of course he would have had friends there. None of that was any real surprise if she thought about it. Perhaps it was just that, while she had no trouble believing that Vale had experience with women, Vale and _marriage_ seemed somehow foreign to one another, even when Vale wasn't the one getting married.

"What is the objection to the marriage?" she asked.

"Unclear. The parties in question haven't communicated their reasons."

"What have they done, then?" Kai asked.

"A series of anonymous notes were sent to the couple threatening violent and terrible events should they follow through with their wedding plans."

"The notes were sent to both of them?" Irene asked. "Not just one?" That struck her as odd. Surely most objectors would be closer to one party than the other? Or at least expect more success from one side?

"Are there any known family complications?" Kai asked. "Inheritance issues?"

"Yes, letters were sent to both parties," Vale replied. "And there are no inheritance issues that I've been able to find. Claremont's father is the Earl of Falkirk, but she has two older sisters, both married with children, leaving five people standing between her and the title. Her parents will settle some money on her when she marries, of course, but nothing out of the ordinary, and as far as I can determine there's no one in particular who is in a position to step in should her engagement to Keir falter.

"As to Keir, his older brother holds the title of Viscount of Ancram, inherited after the death of their father five years ago. Reginald Keir is a wastrel who is unlikely to ever convince any decent woman to marry him, so in all probability Ian Keir will eventually inherit the title, but there's not enough money to be worth bothering about and no reason for anyone to object to his marrying the daughter of an earl."

Falkirk. There was something familiar about that name. Irene set the back of her mind to working at it, trusting that it would come to her eventually. "And Lady Ada's family isn't upset about her marrying the younger brother of a viscount?"

Vale gave them a brief, sardonic smile. "I rather suspect they're grateful to see her married at all. Claremont has some rather unusual interests, and while her parents have always supported her in her pursuits, I think they worried that her enthusiasms would render her unmarriageable."

Kai looked intrigued. "What kind of interests?"

"Engineering," Vale replied. "Primarily clockwork beasts. I understand she has quite the menagerie now."

Irene had encountered quite a few female inventors and engineers in Vale's world, many of them respectably married, but perhaps it was different for the nobility. Or at least for noble women. And then, of course, if Ada and Vale had gone to school together...Irene wasn't sure of Vale's exact age, but while he certainly wasn't old, he wasn't terribly young either. Even if Ada were a few years younger than Vale, Irene could see why parents in this time and place might be concerned.

"It was a somewhat extended engagement," Vale added. "Keir was previously engaged in undercover work on behalf of Intelligence Branch and didn't wish to marry until he was clear of that and no longer in danger of leaving his wife a premature widow."

The Intelligence Branch. It came to her then. "The Earl of Falkirk. Is this the same Earl of Falkirk who's currently serving as Home Secretary?"

"There is generally only one Earl of Falkirk at a time, yes," Vale replied dryly. "Falkirk's position complicates matters somewhat, as you can imagine. However, none of the notes have gone to Falkirk himself, or even mentioned him, and I'm told his own people haven't uncovered anything. It's also not terribly clear why anyone in his professional circles would care whom his third daughter married."

"Unless they knew something to her fiancé's discredit," Kai suggested. "From his time in service. Perhaps they're trying to protect the earl's family." At a sharp glance from Vale, he added, "They could be mistaken, of course."

"But then why not speak to her father directly?" Irene said. "Or send him a note revealing whatever it is they think Ian Keir did?"

"Precisely," Vale agreed. "That scenario is possible, but the competence with which the notes have been delivered does not suggest someone who would take such a convoluted approach when a straightforward path lay conveniently at their feet."

"So how can we help?" Kai asked. "I imagine you've already pursued all the obvious means of tracking the source of the letters: ink and paper and messengers and so on."

"I have. With notably little success. The paper and ink are both common, the hand unremarkable, and the messengers all utterly ignorant. I've also examined the movements of every person I can find who has any obvious motive, which is fortunately a small number. Neither Claremont or Keir have had any other serious connections in recent years. As I said, their families and friends appear to have no reason to object. There may be someone who admires one of them from a distance, or Keir may have formed a connection during his undercover work that I haven't yet identified, but thus far I've found no sign of either. Nor does either of them appear to have any enemies who wish general unhappiness on them. As to Falkirk, well, one hesitates to simply rely on his department's word, but the man himself generally knows his business, and he hasn't identified any potential threats."

Vale's tone remained steadily matter-of-fact, but he straightened almost unconsciously in his chair as he listed off the various roadblocks he'd encountered, face growing markedly more animated as he outlined the scope of the challenge. "At this point, I fear the only thing left is to play defense and hope the party or parties in question either reveal themselves through their attempts to interfere, or else are prevented from successfully taking action."

"Assuming the whole thing isn't some sort of cruel prank," Irene suggested.

"One can hope." Vale's tone left no doubt as to his estimate of the likelihood of that particular interpretation. "The wedding is in less than a week, at the Falkirk family seat in Scotland. Are the two of you free to accompany me?"

Irene shared an elated glance with Kai: Several days together, uninterrupted, and an opportunity to help Vale with a case. What more could they ask for?

"When do we leave?" she asked.

***

Scotland turned out to be suffering from the same unseasonably cold weather as London, albeit without the rain. Irene found herself wishing for a heavier cloak as she stood shivering on the platform, watching Kai and Vale direct the porters unloading their luggage.

The two days it had taken them to reach their destination had given them enough time to review all of the details of the case. They'd quickly discovered that Vale was right: There was very little for them to work with. Just a series of anonymous notes--Vale had provided them with a sample to examine--full of vaguely horrible threats to both parties should said parties go through with their wedding plans. The most interesting part, in Irene's opinion, was that the notes to Ada focused on threats to Ian, and the notes to Ian focused on threats to Ada.

"I noticed that too," Vale had said. "It seems to suggest someone close to them, someone who knows them well enough to know that neither would be swayed by threats merely to themselves, but that they might be moved by threats to the other. Another good reason for us to be on hand during the wedding itself."

The three of them had travelled first class, courtesy of Vale, so the trip had been reasonably comfortable. Even so, Irene was happy to be still again. Most of the time she didn't mind the technological limitations of this world, but there were days when she longed for little things. Things like quick, efficient transportation and train rides between London and Scotland that could be measured in hours rather than days.

The luggage finally dealt with, they went in search of the their ride. Vale had sent word ahead of their arrival and assured Irene and Kai that they would be met. And indeed, they hadn't gone far when a gloved hand waved and a woman's voice called out Vale's name. Vale turned at the sound, his face lighting up with a bright, genuine smile that stripped the years away, giving Irene a peek at how he must have looked in his youth.

The woman made her way over to them, along with a male companion. Both were around Vale's age or a little younger, and from the familiar, affectionate way they greeted him, Irene gathered that his friends themselves had come to the station to meet them. Irene and Kai stood back, giving them space, and studied the little group, this unexpected glimpse into Vale's past.

Ian Keir was tall and fair, with sharp, observant eyes and an air of quiet competence. It wasn't difficult to picture him doing something dashing and dangerous, like working undercover amongst England's many secret societies, and doing it well.

Ada Claremont was a few inches shorter than Irene, with a pleasant, intelligent face, a contagious smile, and a firm jaw that hinted at a stubborn streak. Her most striking feature was a heavy mass of dark, curly hair that Irene regarded with some envy, her hand going unconsciously to her own hair, still unfashionably short from when Kai had cut it during their last mission together.

Irene didn't realize she was shivering again until she felt Kai's arms slip around her, tugging her in closer.

"Are they what you expected?" he asked softly, leaning in close to her ear.

It probably wasn't the wisest thing to do in public, considering the official situation. On the other hand, most of the other disembarking passengers had hurried off, presumably eager to get out of the cold, and none of those who lingered were looking in their direction. Irene let herself lean back a little against Kai, savouring the warmth and the contact. "I really wasn't expecting any of this. Has he ever talked to you about his university days?"

"Once, very briefly. He was curious about my upbringing in my father's court. He didn't mention any specific individuals, however."

In front of them, the reunion seemed to be concluding. Kai released Irene, stepping to the side as Vale turned to beckon them forward. Vale made the appropriate introductions, confirming that their hosts had indeed come themselves. He didn't, Irene noticed, explain why two people whom the bride and groom had never met were suddenly attending their wedding. She assumed meant that they already knew who Irene and Kai were.

From the platform, Ada and Ian led them to large, waiting carriage, easily big enough to hold the five of them. It was metal, like the hansom cabs of London, elaborately painted and decorated, but unlike most London cabs, it didn't appear to run on an electric motor. Instead, it was hooked up to two life-size clockwork horses, both in shining copper, with dark, disconcertingly intelligent eyes.

"Your work, Claremont?" Vale asked, leaning in to examine the nearer horse. "You've advanced considerably since our university days."

"Do you remember that parrot she made?" Ian asked, giving Ada an affectionate look. "The one that couldn't fly, so it sat on its perch all day, repeating everything everyone said?"

"It turned out to be quite useful, as I recall," Ada said thoughtfully. "What with that prank Patterson and his group thought they would try."

From behind the carriage, a silver-grey clockwork hound came trotting out. It paused for a moment, looking from person to person, then headed to Vale, stretching its neck to sniff at his hand.

"That's Storm," Ada said.

"Remarkable." Vale knelt down so that he was eye level with the dog and ran a hand across the the smooth metal head. "Can it actually smell me?"

"Oh, absolutely," Ada replied. "He doesn't have quite the range and discernment of a real hound--not yet--but he can follow game nicely."

Having apparently established Vale's scent to his satisfaction, Storm switched his focus to Irene and Kai, sniffing at each of them in turn. Unlike some of the natural animals they'd encountered--including a notable incident involving a trained bear--it didn't seem particularly drawn to Kai, spending no more time on him than anyone else.

"We should probably start heading home," Ian said, glancing upwards.

Irene followed his gaze and saw pale clouds moving rapidly across the previously clear sky. She was also, she realized, still quite cold.

No servants had accompanied Ian and Ada--the clockwork horses could apparently guide themselves--so the men were left to load the luggage, and then the five of them climbed into the carriage.

"We're so grateful you were able to come," Ada said as they settled inside. "These past few days have been simply awful. The notes keep turning up and we have no idea how they're reaching us. And in the meantime, everyone expects us to be happy and excited, which we _are_ , but--" She shared a look with her fiancé.

"It's difficult to be truly happy when you're worried about living long enough to see your wedding night," he concluded.

"There have been more notes, then?" Vale asked sharply.

"Two since we last wrote to you," Ian replied. "One left under the pillow in Ada's bedroom, and the other in the pocket of one of my jackets."

"That seems like it would narrow the suspect pool," Kai offered. "How many people have access to both places?"

"Stillwater House is full to bursting," Ian said glumly. "Not to mention the additional staff who have been in and out, preparing for the wedding. Someone could easily have sneaked in who wasn't supposed to be there."

"Nonetheless, Strongrock is correct." Vale sounded distinctly more cheerful. "There are a definable number of people who have been in and out of Stillwater House, and fewer who would have known where Claremont's room was or been able to identify your jacket. Alternately, if they didn't know, they would have had to find out and someone may have noticed that."

Vale continued with his questions as they drove on. No, they hadn't said a word to anyone besides Ada's father. No, not even the servants knew, and they'd been careful about who had overheard them. Yes, there had been some talk among the servants about odd movements at night, but they hadn't been able to get anything definitive out of them, and Maggie Carter, who had first reported it, was known for having an active imagination.

Once he seemed satisfied that he knew everything they could tell him, the conversation took a more personal turn.

"If it's not too odd a question, may I ask where you're from?" Ian said. "Vale has told us remarkably little about you."

"I've told you just as much about them as I've told Winters and Strongrock about you," Vale pointed out.

"We're Canadian," Irene told Ian, the familiar lie rising easily to her lips. It was always better to be a little bit foreign during continued close contact; people forgave small slips more readily that way.

She saw Vale twitch out of the corner of her eye and resolutely ignored it. He might trust his old friends, but she and Kai had just met them. They were hardly going to start revealing their deepest secrets on first meeting, and Vale had known that when he had asked them to join him.

"Oh, indeed?" Ian said. "That's rather exciting. Life in the colonies and all that. I must confess, I was curious because you"--he nodded toward Kai--"remind me a bit of a friend of mine. Russian chap. I don't suppose you have a Russian connection, Mr. Strongrock? Born there before moving to Canada or something? Or maybe Russian parents?"

"I'm afraid not," Kai replied politely.

"Probably just a coincidence, then."

"They do rather resemble each other, though, don't they?" Ada said. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Not that anyone would think you were twins or anything," Ian added hastily. "Maybe distant cousins or something like that. It's more about bearing than features, I think."

A thread of disquiet wove its way through Irene. She'd encountered a few people before who vaguely resembled Kai. None of them had been human. "Will this friend be at the wedding?" she asked.

"Oh, certainly. He's coming up this afternoon, in fact. You'll meet him at dinner."

"What's his name?" Kai asked, tone carefully casual. Clearly he was thinking along similar lines to Irene. "Perhaps I'll recognize it, if we do share some sort of relationship."

"It's a bit of an unusual name, actually," Ian said. "Yihai Markov. I think Yihai might be a family name of some sort. Ring any bells?"

Irene and Kai exchanged a look. Yihai wasn't a terribly typical _Russian_ name, but it did sound like a name that might be possessed by a dragon. Irene raised a quizzical eyebrow; Kai responded with a subtle shake of his head. Not a name he recognized, which meant that if Yihai was a dragon, he probably wasn't a particularly prominent one. Of course, the fact that Kai didn't know him didn't mean that he wouldn't recognize Kai, which could make the investigation interesting. Hopefully Yihai would be as invested as Kai was in keeping his true nature hidden.

"I don't believe I know him," Kai said. "But perhaps we'll discover a connection once we meet."

"They do say it's a small world," Ian replied. "Do you find London very different from Canada? I've heard it gets awfully cold in winter there." And the conversation moved on.

The sun was setting by the time they arrived at their destination, so Irene's first glimpse of Stillwater House was by a combination of twilight and ether-light. It was a big, boxy affair, a typical British country house apart from the two slightly incongruous towers rising at the sides--a melding of styles from different eras that didn't quite succeed in achieving either grace or coherence.

Inside, the house was whirl of activity. As soon as they were spotted, a small crowd of people descended on Ian and Ada, loading them down with questions and comments, trying to steer them away to deal with various wedding-related matters.

"Sorry," Ian said, palms up in a helpless gesture. "It never ends. I honestly hadn't realized that weddings involve so many decisions."

Vale waved him off. "We have our own work to do, Keir. Go take care of yours."

Ian gave Vale a grateful smile, then allowed himself to be pulled away by a round-faced man whom Irene guessed was his valet.

Ada paused in her conversation to introduce them to the two women who had pounced on her--her older sisters, Kate and Ivy, one fair and one dark, both with Ada's strong jaw, and both equally distracted by whatever they needed Ada for--then looked around the hall.

"Lucy," she called. A teenage girl in a neat navy uniform stepped up. "Can you please see that Miss Winters, Mr. Vale and Mr. Strongrock are shown to their rooms, and have Rogers bring in their luggage from the carriage? I believe they've put Miss Winters in the owl room, and Mr. Vale and Mr. Strongrock in the eagle room."

"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied obediently.

Ada turned back to them. "I'm very sorry about your having to share. We usually wouldn't do that, of course, but it's just so crowded with all the family and guests who are here for the wedding, and Vale said in his letter that you'd understand."

"It's fine," Kai replied graciously. "I've slept in worse conditions."

That was certainly true, Irene thought, recalling some of their previous missions: dingy motel rooms, open-air sleighs, and the occasional alleyway. Not to mention whatever his accommodations had been back when he was pretending to be a semi-criminal rather than a dragon prince.

"They'll have already had afternoon tea," Ada added, "but if you want anything, just tell Lucy and she'll see that you get it. Or if you need something else, she can get that too. Dinner is at eight. I'm afraid they'll likely keep me busy until then, but I hope I'll see you all there?"

Satisfied that they were taken care of, she hurried off with her sisters, the three of them all talking at once.

***

Irene's room was small but lovely, with pale blue walls, a cheery fire, and absolutely no indication of how it had come to be known as the owl room. After unpacking her bag, she spotted a tub in the adjoining bathroom and decided that two days of travel entitled her to a hot bath. Vale had assured her on the way up that he had everything well in hand and that she could relax until dinner, so Irene felt no guilt at all as she sank into the soothing water.

By quarter to eight, she was bathed, dressed--there was something to be said for staying on one world long enough to build up a suitable wardrobe--and ravenous, having forgone the tea that Ada had suggested. She was nearly ready to leave on her own in search of either the drawing room or Kai and Vale's room when a knock on her door revealed the two men, both dressed for dinner, Vale with his usual aristocratic flair and Kai in a suit that flattered him so well it might have grown on him.

Vale, she learned, had been busy.

"I obtained and examined the two new notes," he told them as he led them down the stairs. "They're identical to the previous specimens, apart from the intimacy of where they were left. I'm afraid they'll be of no more help than the rest."

"But we know they must have been left by someone who knows them well," Kai said. "So we keep an eye on everyone at dinner, and see who looks guilty."

Vale nodded in agreement. "I also made a point of inquiring about Mr. Markov amongst the servants, on the assumption that he might have been a guest on previous occasions. My assumption proved to be accurate. Overall, they had little to say. He's foreign; he's well-behaved; he's a decent shot; and he can hold his drink. The only point of real interest was from Keir's valet, who mentioned that Markov didn't seem to be accustomed to having servants."

So perhaps he wasn't even minor nobility, then. That would explain why Kai hadn't heard of him. Irene couldn't recall ever having dealt with a dragon who was neither royal nor noble. She wondered if more plebeian dragons were less arrogant and superior than their higher-ranking brethren, or if those were universal traits of dragons.

"Do you have any idea what he might doing here?" she asked Kai.

"I don't even know how he got here," Kai admitted. "If he truly is a lesser dragon, this isn't a trip he could have made on his own. Someone would have had to have brought him here."

Vale paused outside the drawing room, looking perturbed. "You're saying this dragon is here acting on behalf of someone else? And now he's wormed his way into Keir's circle?"

"There's only one way to find out," Irene said, and pushed open the door.

There was a rustle through the room as a dozen or so chatting guests turned to see who the newcomers were. Vale they greeted with nods of recognition. Irene was either considered and dismissed or regarded with frank curiosity. Most of the attention, however, was reserved for Kai, who glided into the room seemingly unaware of--or just unconcerned by--the stir he was creating. His appearance, attire, and sheer grace made it clear to all that he was someone important, and Irene could practically see the other guests trying to work out who he was and how he might be connected to Vale.

Contemplating once again the advantages of a partner who could effectively seize all attention--even if it did occasionally leaving her feeling more than a little insignificant--Irene used the opportunity to study the other guests, trying to get a sense of who they were dealing with. The crowd was a mix of ages and genders, all well dressed, many clearly related. None of them stood out as anything other than what most were: friends and relatives of the couple. And none of them were dragons, meaning either Yihai Markov was not, in fact, a dragon, or else he hadn't yet arrived.

"Leeds!" called a voice from across the room. The speaker was a broad, bearded man of about sixty whom Irene had already recognized as the current Home Secretary, and Ada's father. He began striding toward them.

"Leeds?" Kai queried softly.

"Falkirk has strong opinions on the role and duties of the aristocracy," Vale said. "Let me introduce you, and then the two of you can go your separate ways and start meeting the other guests before dinner."

"So you're Leeds's associates, are you?" Falkirk said after the introductions had been made. "I don't recall Leeds having had any associates before. Unless you count that police inspector, Singh."

"We have the honour of occasionally being allowed to help Mr. Vale in his work, Your Lordship," Irene said.

"You must be uncommonly competent if he's asking you for help," Falkirk said, peering at them as if trying to work out exactly what it was that Vale saw in them. "Doubly so if he brought you up here with him."

"Speaking of which," Vale said, "do you have anything new to report?"

Falkirk frowned and shook his head. "I've had my best people on it for weeks and so far they've found nothing. Whoever's doing this is keeping their head down. There's not a whisper out there, not from the secret societies, not from foreign spies, not from our own dissidents--nothing. I'll confess, Leeds, I wasn't entirely keen on the idea when my daughter told me that she and Keir had written to you for help instead of trusting me to handle things, but there's no room left for pride now. If you can solve this and keep the wedding on track, I'll be nothing but grateful."

Behind them, Irene heard the door to the drawing room swing open again. She glanced back to see who had come in. The man who entered was tall, perhaps an inch or so shorter than Kai, with rich mahogany hair worn longer than was the current fashion for men and a face whose breathtaking beauty begged to be immortalized in marble.

But as handsome as the newcomer was, he was not quite as dangerously striking as Kai, nor did he project the same air of coiled power that Irene had found Kai and other high-ranking dragons tended to possess. It would seem that the valet's perception had been correct; Yihai was very much a junior dragon--both in age and rank, she would guess.

He caught sight of them almost immediately, eyes widening as he took in Kai. Irene wasn't sure whether he knew _who_ Kai was, but he clearly knew _what_ he was.

She and Kai made their excuses to Falkirk, leaving him to Vale, and headed toward the newcomer, who watched them nervously but made no attempt to evade them. As they drew closer, Kai caught his eyes and directed him toward a nearby corner, out of earshot of most of the room.

"Mr. Markov, I presume," Kai said, positioning himself between Yihai and the rest of the room.

Yihai responded with a very correct bow. "At home I am known as Yihai, Your Highness."

That answered that question, then.

Kai acknowledged the bow with a nod. "This is my associate, Miss Irene Winters."

Yihai offered her a smaller bow. "How do you do, Miss Winters. I've heard of you, of course."

 _Of course._ That was new. Irene wasn't sure how she felt about her existence being common knowledge among dragons, but she gave him a polite smile and nod. "How do you do, Yihai."

She and Kai had earlier decided that the conversation would probably run more smoothly if he took the lead, at least at the start. She hadn't, admittedly, expected that they would encounter a dragon who had heard of her, but the principle still seemed sound, so she kept quiet and waited.

"I was rather surprised when I learned another of our kind was on this world," Kai said neutrally. "This is not an especially hospitable place for us." The polite way of saying that it was a high-chaos world with a large Fae presence. Disputed territory rather than unquestionably Fae, but not a world most dragons would voluntarily seek out.

Yihai swallowed hard. "I apologize if I've in any way intruded on your affairs, Your Highness. I didn't know you were here when I picked this world. I would certainly chosen differently had I known."

"Indeed," Kai replied. "And what brought you to this world? Were you ordered here?" A reminder that Yihai could not have made the trip on his own, and both Kai and Irene both knew it.

"Not exactly," Yihai replied. He hesitated, then plunged forward. "My older brother was killed fighting the Fae incursion into the territory of the Queen of the Eastern Lands, and I thought--despite all of our years of enmity, there are still so many things we don't know about the Fae. Their tactics. Their alliances. I thought if I came to a world with a larger Fae presence, I could learn more about them and how they work. I hoped I'd discover something that we could use in the next battle, some weakness we could exploit. Or perhaps find out where they plan to strike next. But again, I would have chosen a different world if I'd known you were here, Your Highness."

A flash of sympathy had crossed Kai's face at the mention of Yihai's brother's death, but his expression remained otherwise unreadable. "How did you get here?"

An edge of defiance crept into Yihai's voice. "I'm not the only one who has lost loved ones to the Fae."

"Then does your family know where you are? Or your liege?"

"I'm not currently in service to anyone," Yihai replied, dodging the question of his family. "I had hoped that when I returned home, I would find someone to hold my oath."

Trading his new knowledge for a better position, Irene interpreted. Well, she could hardly fault him for trying, given how hierarchical dragon society was and how often rank was determined by birth and bloodlines rather than intelligence and ability.

"How did you meet--" Kai began, but was cut off by the arrival of Ada and Ian, who had apparently finally finished with their wedding duties for the day.

"I see you found Mr. Markov," Ada said gaily. She smiled up at Yihai. "We were telling Mr. Strongrock and Miss Winters about you, Mr. Markov. We'd wondered if you and Mr. Strongrock might know each other somehow, but he thought not."

"We've been having a very interesting conversation," Irene said. She looked over at Ian and picked up Kai's abandoned question. "How did the two of you meet?"

"Oh, we met at work," Ian said vaguely. "My last position. Markov is a genius at logistics, you know. And technology. Saved my hide more than once." He slapped Yihai's shoulder affectionately.

"And Keir took pity on me and agreed to show me around London when I was new," Yihai added, seemingly relaxed now that he had cover in the form of humans who knew nothing of dragons and dragon politics.

"It was hardly an act of pity," Ada protested. "He just wanted a companion who could keep up with him when he went drinking. Do you know, I think you're the only one I've ever met who can."

Irene looked between the three friends as they bantered, trying to spot any sign of hidden tensions or secret hate. All she saw was easy affection--not quite as deep as with Vale, perhaps, lacking the same age and roots, but genuine nonetheless.

She'd get Kai's impression later, she decided. But for now, she was tentatively inclined to believe that Yihai's explanations made sense.

***  
Dinner proved a relatively informal affair. Kai escorted Irene in, but they separated before taking their seats in the interests of speaking to as many guests as possible. Irene found herself seated between Ian's paternal grandmother, the Dowager Lady Ancram, and a young woman, perhaps seventeen or so, who introduced herself as Anna Stronach, a cousin of Ian's on his mother's side.

Both women were curious about Irene's connection to Vale, whom they had recognized. Anna lost interest once she'd established there was no romance there, instead querying Irene at length about Kai, but Lady Ancram had some insightful questions about Vale's work and how Kai and Irene came into it. It was evident that she'd been following Vale's career in the news.

"I think it's wonderful how young women today are able to go out and do something besides marry and have children," she said approvingly. "How did you get into detective work, Miss Winters?"

"Oh, I'm not really a detective," Irene said modestly. "I make my living taking in translation work. My attempts to solve mysteries are limited to when Vale asks for help."

"Help with translations?" Lady Ancram asked with an amused gleam in her eye.

"Sometimes," Irene agreed.

Anna's interest was regained when she realized that Irene not only lived on her own in London, but had previously encountered the notorious Lord Silver.

"Is he really as terrible as they say?" she asked, eyes shining. Lord Silver was apparently something of a legend in certain circles of young women, who romanticized him far more than Irene was comfortable with. Even stories of the girls he'd ruined--how Irene hated that term!--seemed only to make him dangerously appealing.

"He's typical Fae," Irene replied carefully. "Very charming when he wants to be, especially if he's using his power, and very dangerous because of it."

"You'd do well to listen to Miss Winters," Lady Ancram put in sharply. "The Fae care nothing about what happens to humans; they only care about themselves and their stories. The best way to deal with the Fae is to avoid them."

Anna looked undeterred, and Irene reflected that it was just as well that she was unlikely to be left alone in London any time soon.

At length, the suggestion was put forth that the women retreat to the drawing room. Their hostess rose--Irene made a mental note to get Vale to introduce them as soon as possible; it was really unspeakably rude that they were dining at Lady Falkirk's table without ever having spoken to her--and the rest of the women followed suit. Before Irene could leave, however, Kai came up to her with Ada.

"Lady Ada has offered to give us a tour of her laboratory," he said. "If you're interested, of course."

Irene hesitated for a moment. Really, they ought to be talking to more guests, trying to see if anyone had a motive. But then she remembered the clockwork hound, and the horses, and curiosity got the better of her. Besides, Vale already knew all of these people; if there were an obvious motive to be had, he'd have dug it up. And it wasn't as if any of them were going to confess out of the blue to either Kai or Irene.

Ada's laboratory was a weathered-looking grey wooden building set well away from the main house. She and Irene both pulled their cloaks tighter against the cold as they walked.

"It almost feels like it's going to snow," Ada remarked, unlocking the door with a large key. "But it's only November."

Inside, the laboratory was a place of wonder. Vale had described Ada's collection as a menagerie, which struck Irene as quite accurate. Turtles, giant crabs, giraffes, lions and birds of all kinds stood side by side, gleaming in the ether light. Most of the creatures looked to have been shut down, but a handful turned their heads as Ada led Irene and Kai inside, and Irene once again noticed how disconcertingly intelligent their expressions were.

Ada reached up and took down a squirrel from a shelf. Unlike most of the animals, the squirrel wasn't obviously clockwork; instead, it seemed to have been made using the pelt of an actual squirrel. "This is one of my newest animals," she said. "There's actually a camera built in, so you can set them where you need them to be and have them take pictures. Afterwards, they'll return to where they've been programmed to go. My father's people have been testing them out in the field."

"That's incredible," Irene said.

Kai leaned in, examining the squirrel more closely. "Where do you get the pelts?"

Ada smiled. "Storm is very good at--" She paused, looking puzzled. "Did you hear something?"

Kai was already heading to the door. "There's something outside," he said, with the confidence of dragon hearing.

Irene took a step forward, placing herself between Ada and the door, and looked around the room for likely weapons, settling on a large nearby wrench. _It's probably just a servant,_ she told herself. _Or the wind._

__Kai set his ear against the door and then, apparently hearing nothing, pulled it open, slipping to one side as he did. A moment later, he knelt down in the doorway and called out Ada's name._ _

__Ada and Irene ran to the door. In front of Kai, halfway into the room, lay Storm, his right back leg twisted and mangled. Beyond the door, in the glimmer of ether light, Irene could see a trail of crushed grass where the hound had dragged himself to them._ _

__Ada knelt down with a cry, wrapping her arms around him. The hound whimpered when he saw her, looking up at her with dark pleading eyes._ _

__"Help me get him on the table."_ _

__She started to raise Storm's front half, but Kai slid his arms beneath the hound's middle and stood up smoothly, carrying Storm to Ada's work table. Ada turned on a bright light, aiming it at Storm, and selected a long, narrow tool from her tool box. "I need to shut him down first," she said, pushing the tool into Storm's neck through a gap in the plating._ _

__There was a bright flash as the tool slide inside, and then something shot out from the gap in Storm's neck and up into the air, where it exploded, sending dozens of sparks flying in all directions, colliding with creatures and tools and dry wooden walls._ _

__Kai reacted at the first flash, knocking Ada to the ground as the device exploded and covering her body with his own. Irene ducked down behind the clockwork lion, covering her head against the sparks, painfully aware of how quickly the building would go up if one of those sparks should start a fire._ _

__It didn't take long for her worst fears to come to life. As the sparks continued to fly, a dozen small fires began burning around the edges of the room, flames licking hungrily up the walls._ _

__Still guarding her face against the sparks, Irene raised her head and called out, " **Sparks, go out. Fires, extinguish yourselves.** " It was always tricky trying to use Language to put out fire, which inevitably wanted to grow, not die. But these fires were still small and she poured her will into it; they obeyed._ _

__With both sparks and fires contained, Kai rolled off of Ada and onto his feet in one smooth motion, then leaned down and offered Ada his hand._ _

__"What happened?" she asked, climbing shakily to her feet._ _

__"Someone set a trap." Kai began circling the room, looking for further signs of tampering._ _

__"A trap? Using Storm?" Ada shook her head in frustration and disbelief. "Who would hate me enough to try to kill me just because I'm getting married?"_ _

__"I'm not sure they were trying to kill you," Irene said. She'd moved to the table to take a look at Storm. "I think they may have just been trying to scare you."_ _

__"By setting her laboratory on fire?" Kai asked skeptically._ _

__"That might have been an accident. Look." She nodded toward Storm's still form._ _

__Kai and Ada joined her at the table and looked at where she had indicated. Words had been etched in small letters on the Storm's chest: _If you marry Ian Keir, you will die.__ _

__"It's certainly clear," Kai said._ _

__"I don't understand who's doing this," Ada said despairingly. "Why do would anyone object to my marrying Ian? And if they do, why can't they give us the reason?"_ _

__"Probably because that would give away their identity," Irene said. "So they'd rather rely on fear than reason."_ _

__Ada set her jaw stubbornly. "Well it's not going to work."_ _

__"Of course not," Kai agreed. "But you should go inside now, where the others are. It will be safer there."_ _

__"Certainly," Ada agreed, reaching again for her tool box. "Just as soon as I fix Storm."_ _

__In the end, both Irene and Kai stayed with her, as neither was willing to leave the other alone, though Kai did leave long enough to let Vale know what had happened, and to take a look at Storm's trail. He returned with word that Vale would be out to study the scene just as soon as he was sure that Ian was safe, and that the trail would have to wait until daylight for further examination._ _

__Ada needed space to work, so Irene and Kai made themselves comfortable on the floor in a corner near the door, alert for any other traps that might have been set._ _

__"What do you think of Yihai?" Irene asked softly._ _

__Kai frowned. "It's unusual for a dragon not to be in service to anyone, and even more unusual to leave home that way, knowing that no one will come to rescue them if they fall into danger. On the other hand, there are some dragon lords who might reward this kind of initiative, if he does manage to acquire some useful information about the Fae."_ _

__"So he might be telling the truth."_ _

__"Possibly."_ _

__He sounded unconvinced, but Irene wasn't sure if that was because he genuinely thought Yihai was lying, or because he disapproved of Yihai's choices._ _

__"Regardless," she continued, "I can't see any reason for him to object to Ian's getting married, other than maybe the fact that the Intelligence Branch is losing Ian as an undercover agent. Or at least I'm assuming that's where they met."_ _

__"It would be a logical place for Yihai to go, if he wanted information about the Fae."_ _

__"Right. Do you think there's any chance that he's trying to drive Ian back into that role? I know that some dragons can get"--she searched for a more tactful phrase than _obsessive_ or _destructively single-minded_\--"very focused on their particular concerns."

"I don't know," Kai replied. "I don't know enough about what they did, or how important Ian was to the work. We should ask Vale to look into it."

"Right. Did you spot any other likely suspects tonight?"

"Not really," he admitted. "At dinner I sat with two of Ada's sisters. I don't think either of them has any idea what's going on, let alone a reason to try to stop the wedding."

"Perhaps Vale will be able to find some clues in what's left of that device," she said, letting her head rest against the wall. She was fairly sure at this point that the device implanted in Storm was the only trap that had been set, at least for Ada. And Vale had surely searched Ian's room for anything that might have been left there.

She missed this, she realized--this comfortable feeling of sitting with Kai, trading impressions and working out possible solutions. She also missed knowing that there was someone there to come to her rescue if she needed it. Not that Kai wouldn't still come to her aid if he knew she was in trouble, of course. She knew full well that he would, and political implications be damned. But he was much less likely now to find out in time that she needed help, and she really shouldn't be calling on him--at least not when she was on Library business. Which, fortunately, this was not.

Beside her, Kai shifted position, crossing his legs in front of him. He gave her a sideways look. "You know, in books, at this kind of house party, everyone is always sneaking around at night, visiting their lovers and jumping from bed to bed."

"This isn't a book," Irene replied. "Besides, you're sharing a room."

"But you're not," he pointed out. "And I'm very good at being quiet."

"I think Vale might notice if you snuck out in the middle of the night," Irene said, half teasing and half serious, not entirely sure why she was putting up even token resistance.

"I don't think Vale will--"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Kai and Irene leapt up at the same moment. Moving with the coordination of long association, Irene headed back to cover Ada while Kai cautiously opened the door, ready to spring out of the line of fire at the first sign of danger.

"Strongrock, Winters," Vale greeted them. "Have I missed anything?"

Kai stood aside to let him in. "It's been quiet out here since the attack."

"It has been equally quiet inside," Vale said, moving past Kai toward the table where Ada continued to work on Storm. He laid a gentle hand on her arm, careful not to disrupt her delicate work. "Are you all right, Ada?"

Ada looked up at him, her carefully built calm visibly deserting her at the concern in his voice. Then she set down her tools and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. Vale returned the hug, one hand stroking her back comfortingly, wearing an expression of tenderness that Irene couldn't recall ever having seen on him before.

After a long moment, Ada pulled away. She looked down at Storm, who had been successfully deactivated and now lay unnaturally still. "I don't understand, Vale. Who would do this to us?"

"I don't know. But I promise you we'll find out." He followed her gaze to the table. "How is Storm?"

She ran a hand along the dog's side. "I was hoping to have him fixed by tomorrow, so that he could go out with Ian, but the damage is worse than I originally thought."

"I wouldn't worry," Vale said kindly. "Keir will have other protectors tomorrow." He touched her shoulder comfortingly, then crossed over to join Irene and Kai.

"Where is he going?" Kai asked softly.

"The men have been invited to go shooting with our hosts," Vale replied. "Pheasant and partridge, I believe."

"They're going hunting?" Irene said. "The day before the wedding? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Shooting," Vale corrected. "Not hunting. It's a Claremont family tradition."

"It's traditional to go shooting the day before a wedding?"

"Shooting in general. They like to show off their land to their guests. I suspect the timing might be a plot of the bride's and groom's mothers to keep the men out of the way during the final preparations."

Visions of completely plausible "accidental" shootings danced in Irene's head. "You do realize how many guns will be involved in this activity, right?"

"Indeed," Vale replied. "Which was why I was hoping I could prevail on you, Strongrock, to accompany them and keep an eye on Keir. I would go myself, but I have some other things I'd like to look into tomorrow."

"Whatever you need," Kai replied immediately.

"Do you know how to shoot?" Irene asked.

"Of course!" Kai replied. He paused. "Or at least, I know how to use a gun, and I know how to hunt. How hard can it be to combine the two?"

Vale looked at him curiously. "How do you usually hunt, if not with a gun?"

Kai shrugged. "My father's court doesn't generally require guns to hunt."

"I assume you'd like me to stay with Lady Ada tomorrow?" Irene asked.

"I would appreciate it," Vale replied. He glanced across the room at Ada, who was once again bent over Storm. "In fact, given what happened here tonight, it might be better if neither of them were left alone for any length of time between now and the wedding."

"You think someone might attack them in their sleep." The thought had occurred to Irene, too.

"Now that we know we're dealing with more than mere words, I'd rather take every precaution," Vale replied. "I can sleep in Keir's room tonight, if you'll take Claremont's."

"Of course," Irene replied, glancing at Kai. So much for whatever tentative plans they might have had.

"Very well," Vale said. "Now, may I see the device?"

***

The night passed without incident, despite their concerns. The next morning, the five of them met for breakfast, where Kai and Vale told the others that they'd gone out early and followed Storm's trail as far as they could, but had discovered little of use. The half-mile trail had finally led them a rarely used garden shed, and none of the servants they'd spoken to had seen or heard anything.

After breakfast, Kai and Ian headed out with rest of the shooting party, minus Storm, who was still residing in Ada's laboratory. As soon as they were gone, Vale set about his own business, and Irene and Ada, having confirmed that Ada wasn't needed for anything wedding-related, returned to her laboratory to review the damage.

By daylight, the scorch marks on the walls were clearly visible. Ada studied each in turn, running her finger along one particularly large mark in disbelief.

"I don't understand why they didn't catch further," she finally said. "The whole building should have been alight within a minute or two."

"I don't think they were very strong fires," Irene suggested. "It was an unintended side effect, after all, rather than the ultimate purpose of the trap." Vale had confirmed her suspicions during his examination of the device. Noise and light had been the goal, not fire. A good scare, not death. Vale had also been deeply unimpressed by the carelessness of the maker, remarking that deaths that occurred under such circumstances were as good as murder in his opinion.

Ada turned away from her study of the wall and looked inquiringly at Irene. "You did something, didn't you? I heard you saying something right before the fires went out. Some sort of spell?"

"I don't know any magic," Irene replied honestly.

"Something else, then," Ada persisted. "Vale said you had unusual abilities, but he was quite vague as to what they were."

Irene met her gaze steadily. "I really don't know what you mean."

Ada held the look a moment longer, then nodded her reluctant acceptance. "Very well. I can hardly complain when you and Mr. Strongrock saved my life last night." She looked around the lab again, her attention shifting from the walls to her creatures. "At least the damage seems to have largely been limited to the walls."

"You've really been making these since university?" Irene said, looking around at the collection. It was just as wondrous by daylight as it had been by ether light.

"Oh, longer," Ada replied easily. "My governess used to despair because I was always out here instead of reading the lessons she'd set for me. Of course, this wasn't a proper laboratory back then. It was originally constructed as a dovecote, then fell into disuse when my grandfather gave up doves. I started sneaking in because I knew no one else was using it. Father finally gave in and had it fixed up for me when I was twelve, but only after I promised to do my lessons before I came out to work on my creatures. I didn't really mind the history and mathematics, but I found drawing tedious and I have no talent at all for music."

"I'm not very good at art either," Irene confessed. "Or physics." She shuddered a little at the memory of those lessons, with the seemingly endless questions about speed and acceleration and vectors. "I enjoyed languages, though. The school I went to was very strong on that."

"Oh, where did you go?"

"A boarding school in Switzerland," Irene said. "My parents chose it. What did you read in university?"

"Natural sciences," Ada replied, allowing her to change the subject. "Just for fun, of course, since women aren't allowed to take degrees, but I got some good ideas for my work." She pulled out a squirrel that had been set alight, fur burning away to reveal the clockwork mechanism below, and set it aside for later repair. "And Ian read history."

"How did you meet Mr. Keir and Vale?" Irene asked, seeing an opening to ask the questions she'd been wondering about since Vale had first mentioned his friends.

"I met Vale after someone told him about my creatures, and he came looking to see if I could help him with a project he was looking into. And then he introduced me to Ian."

"How did they meet?

"They were at the same college, but I believe they became friends through some sort of club. I can't remember which; Ian was always joining or leaving one society or another, and Vale hardly ever spoke about his activities. I think they shared the same fencing master for a while, so it might have been that."

"What was Vale like back then?" Irene asked, still intrigued by the picture of Vale as a young man.

"Not so different from how he is now," Ada replied. "Perhaps a bit harder back then. Has he told you anything about his family?"

"Only that he avoids them as much as possible," Irene replied. Vale had only spoken to her about his family once, on a night when he'd been in a particularly vulnerable state. It had mostly been vague hints of poison and black magic. 

"He had less distance from them then," Ada said. "University was really his first chance to break away properly, and I think he was still unsure as to whether he would be able to pull it off. It became easier for him when his father died and he inherited the title. That's when he realized that he could ignore it all, and truly deny them any power over him."

She picked up a cloth and began polishing a brass lion. "Is he happy, do you think? I worry about him sometimes, living all by himself in London."

"He has a comfortable home and good friends," Irene temporized, trying to decide how much she should share. Vale was intensely private; she knew that very well. But Ada was clearly one of his closest friends, and her concern was genuine.

"We both know that a comfortable home is no guarantee of happiness," Ada said softly.

Irene decided that partial honesty was the best course. "He's very happy when he has a good case to work on." No need to mention the chaos infection and all that had followed, nor Vale's occasional--and sometimes more than occasional--reliance on morphine when intellectual stimulation was in short supply. Ada might already know about that part, anyway. Irene didn't think it was a new habit.

"Some satisfaction is better than none, I suppose," Ada said. "I had hoped...when he first mentioned you, I thought perhaps there was something there. I've never heard him speak about a woman as he spoke of you." She gave Irene a quick smile. "But I see now that you and Mr. Strongrock are already on good terms with each other."

"We're trying," Irene said. She hesitated a moment, then said, "How about Mr. Markov? I heard Mr. Keir say they met through work?"

Ada nodded. "Did Vale tell you about Ian's work?"

"He said that Mr. Keir is retiring from the Intelligence Branch," Irene replied.

"Well, not from the whole branch," Ada said. "Just from the kind of work he was doing before. Mr. Markov really did save his life, though. Ian would never give me all the details, but I know there was one incident where he was nearly discovered, and Mr. Markov bluffed his way through and got them both out. Ian was particularly impressed because Mr. Markov didn't usually do that kind of work; he was only supposed to be in the office. But he was the only one there when they got word that Ian's name had been leaked, and so he went out."

"And now you're all good friends."

"Well, more Ian and Mr. Markov, I think. For a while, I thought the three of us might all be friends, as we are with Vale, but then Mr. Markov seemed to have a change of heart."

"What happened?" Irene asked.

"I don't really know," Ada replied thoughtfully. "He's still entirely proper, but the warmth isn't there anymore. I sometimes think--"

She was interrupted by a loud pounding on the door.

Irene went swiftly to the door and opened it to reveal a young girl in a navy uniform, fist raised. She dropped her hand as the door opened, and looked past Irene toward Ada. 

"If you please, my lady, you need to come," the girl said, panting.

Ada set down her polishing cloth. "What's happened, Fannie?"

The girl shook her head, still trying to catch her breath. "They just said you need to come, my lady."

"Who said?" Irene asked.

"Lady Falkirk and Lady Ivy," Fannie said. "They said to come to the dress room."

"Then I'd better go," Ada said.

Ada's mother and sister were alone in the room, having shut out the servants--presumably in hopes of containing the gossip, something Irene could have told them was futile. When they saw Ada in the doorway, their faces melted into identical stricken expressions.

"What happened?" Ada demanded, coming in with Irene and closing the door behind her. "Is someone hurt?"

"Not someone," her mother said. She nodded to her other daughter.

Ivy stood up and went behind the screen in the corner, emerging with a cream-coloured satin dress that could only be Ada's wedding dress. Ada and Irene gasped at the sight.

The dress looked as though someone had taken a large pot of ink and hurled the contents violently toward it. Splotches of blue-black covered the whole front of the dress, from skirt to bodice, spreading down into the delicate beading along the bottom of the skirt. The filmy cream lace that decorated the collar and sleeves was equally stained. The whole thing now resembled a Jackson Pollock painting, a reference Irene knew no one besides Kai would get.

"It's completely ruined," Lady Falkirk said miserably. "There's no way we'll get this out, and no way to have a new one made by tomorrow." She looked like she was on the verge of tears, and Ada looked like she might join her.

"May I see it?" Irene asked, holding out her hand. Ada nodded and Ivy handed her the dress. Irene made a show of examining the stains, as if evaluating whether anything could be done. "I think I can remove the ink," she said at last.

This announcement was met with looks of open-mouthed disbelief from Lady Falkirk and Ivy, and visible relief from Ada.

"How?" Ivy asked, tone sharp.

"An old family recipe," Irene said briskly, and rattled off a half-dozen random ingredients.

Doubting, but not yet prepared to entirely abandon hope, Lady Falkirk and Ivy left to collect the items Irene had requested, leaving Irene and Ada alone with the ruined dress.

"You're going to use that--whatever it is you do, aren't you?" Ada said shrewdly. "Do you actually need any of those things you asked for?"

"No," Irene admitted. "But I do need a small, empty bowl."

"I'll go fetch one," Ada said immediately. She stood up and smoothed her skirt.

"And I need you to keep your mother and sister out of my way while I work."

Ada nodded. "Yes, I don't imagine it's the sort of thing you want too many people to know about."

"One way or another, we're going to get you to your wedding," Irene promised.

Once she had a bowl and some privacy, removing the ink was a fairly simple matter. " **Ink, leave Ada's wedding dress and pool in the bowl in my hand** ," she ordered. As she watched the ink flow into the bowl in thin streams, Irene reflected that it was fortunate that the vandal had merely stained the dress rather than cutting it up or worse. Ink was easy to remove; rips and tears would have been harder to fix.

Once the dress had been restored to its original cream colour, Irene carefully dampened it to explain the removal of the stains, then started adding random splashes of her requested supplies to the bowl of ink. She was hoping that the women wouldn't look too closely, not wanting to question a miracle.

Irene was fairly confident Ada wouldn't reveal her use of Language to her mother and sisters, but she was less sure that Ada would refrain from telling her father. She made a mental note to discuss it with Vale and get his suggestions on how to deal with the situation.

She waited a good hour before emerging from the room to tell Ada and her family that the dress, and thus the day, had been saved.

***  
The shooting party returned to the house with the setting sun. Guns and heavy bags of game passed to the servants to be dealt with, and the men came rattling inside, full of good cheer and ready for their tea.

Irene was on hand with Vale for their return, scrutinizing the group for signs of injury or disquiet. She was relieved to see that both Kai and Ian were in one piece, and hoped for a moment that that meant that their precautions had been unnecessary, that their opponents were limiting themselves to petty pranks and acts of vandalism. But then Kai gracefully separated himself from the group and subtly gestured for Irene and Vale to do likewise.

The three of them ducked into Stillwater House's ancient library, which Ada had shown to Irene earlier that afternoon, and each claimed a comfortable armchair.

"How did it go?" Irene asked.

"How many attempts were made on Keir's life?" Vale asked simultaneously.

Irene shot him a quizzical look.

"Strongrock is clearly exhausted. A pleasant afternoon of shooting would hardly have worn him down this much."

"There was a shooter in the woods." Kai slouched down in his chair and stretched out his legs toward the fire. "They timed their shots carefully, matching them to our guns, so that any successful hit would have seemed like an accident at first glance."

"Surely that wouldn't last beyond seeing the size of the injury," Irene objected.

"No, but it would have given the shooter enough time for them to get away. I tried to track them, but I didn't want to leave Ian for very long, so I couldn't go very far."

"Was there anything else?" Vale asked.

"We came across one area where someone had dug a pit and camouflaged it, right in the middle of our path. The gamekeeper would have fallen in if Yihai hadn't grabbed him. The rest of the group assumed it was poachers."

"But you disagree," Vale said.

Kai shrugged. "It wasn't good land for game. Not the kind of game you'd hunt with a pit. The others would have known that too, but--"

"But they can't imagine any other reason for someone to have done that," Irene finished.

"It might have been a coincidence," Kai said. "That sort of thing isn't really an effective way to take out a specific target."

"And there was only the one sharpshooter, in the woods?" Vale asked. "No near-misses from anyone in the party?"

"Not that I saw," Kai said. "If anyone who was with us was trying to harm him, they hid it well."

Something else about the situation was bothering Irene. "You know, I don't understand the thinking of whoever is behind this," she said slowly. "Who first sends notes, then attempts to scare a woman with a bomb, then shoots at the groom-to-be, and then tops it off by doing something as petty as vandalizing a wedding dress? Even apart from the impossibility of the timing, it just doesn't make sense. It's as it they're throwing everything they have at it, trying desperately to make _anything_ work, with no rhyme or reason."

"What happened to the dress?" Kai asked.

Irene explained the issue with the ink and passed along her concerns about Lord Falkirk to Vale.

"That could be awkward," Vale agreed. "I'll speak to Claremont about it. I imagine she'll be amenable to exercising a certain degree of discretion, especially after she learns it isn't a skill that you can pass on to others."

Irene nodded her thanks.

"And I agree with you," Vale added. "These attacks have very different feels. In fact, it almost makes me wonder if we might be facing more than one opponent."

"How can there be two people opposed to this marriage when we can't even find a motive for one?" Kai objected, frustration bursting forth.

"I don't know," Vale replied. "But I see no other reasonable explanation. Do you?"

"No," Kai admitted.

Vale steepled his fingers thoughtfully. "The wedding is tomorrow. Our opponents' desperation is almost certainly growing. I would suggest that it's not enough to merely stay near Claremont and Keir while they sleep tonight. We should actively keep watch. In turn, of course. We'll all need to be rested for tomorrow."

"Agreed," Irene said. 

"Agreed." Kai fought back a yawn.

"You're taking third watch," Irene told him. "You need to get some rest first or you won't be any use to anyone." 

"Then you can take the first shift, Winters, and I'll take second," Vale said.

Irene shook her head. "I have less trouble sleeping than you. I'll take second. You can go first."

Vale looked momentarily irritated, and then his mouth twisted in reluctant acknowledgement of the truth of her statement. "Very well. I will go first, Winters second, and Strongrock third. Hopefully the night will pass peacefully for all of us."

"And hopefully we won't get snowed in before the wedding," Irene said, attention caught by movement through the window. She stood up and walked over to it, staring out at the ether-light-illuminated gardens that surrounded that part of the house. Beneath the lights, fat snowflakes chased each other toward a ground that was already lightly blanketed in white. "Doesn't that seem like rather a lot of snow for November?" she asked.

Kai and Vale had followed her to the window, one looking out on either side of her. Now Kai tilted his head, eyes going distant. "This storm isn't natural," he said.

Irene realized then that the Library brand across her back was itching. It wasn't the burning of chaos-laced magic being used directly on her, but rather the mild discomfort of chaos levels building nearby. "It's a Fae-driven storm."

Vale frowned. "What are the Fae doing near Stillwater House?"

"I have no idea," Irene said. "Do you think they could they be responsible for any of these attacks? I know Keir's undercover work involved Fae-related groups. Could he have made a Fae enemy along the way?"

"I understand that care was taken to keep his identity secret, especially from the Fae," Vale said. "But if his cover was breached, then yes, he did some damage to Fae-allied groups, and they might seek some sort of revenge for that."

"We could track them down," Kai suggested. "Put an end to all of this right now."

"Not in the dark, when we're all tired, and when we have no idea how many Fae we're dealing with," Irene said firmly. "We'll talk to Lord Falkirk and Keir tonight after dinner and see if they know of any Fae who are likely candidates for something like this, and then we'll figure it out from there."

"If we can make it through the wedding, Falkirk will undoubtedly be able to supply us with reinforcements, once it's known for certain that the Fae are involved," Vale said.

Neither Falkirk nor Ian knew of any Fae who had become aware of Ian's true identity while he was undercover; nor did Yihai, whom Kai brought into the conversation on the grounds that he was already aware that Ian was under attack, and had undoubtedly detected the Fae presence.

Falkirk did take certain steps upon learning that the storm wasn't natural, including setting a watch around the house, ordering that servants sleep in both Ada's room and Ian's room, and arranging for the snow to be monitored and cleared from the paths throughout the night.

Dinner that night was a cheerful affair, with most of the guests delighting in the unexpected snow, happily ignorant of its origins or of any other concerns that might mar the evening. Irene and Kai sat together, too tired to worry about subtly interrogating the other guests. At the other end of the table, Vale sat with Ada and Ian, the three of them speaking animatedly.

"Did you ever think you would see Vale choose comforting people over investigating a case?" Irene asked Kai softly.

"He's probably analyzing clues in his head," Kai replied. "But it's definitely a different side of him."

"Do you have any old friends like that?" Irene asked. "People you can just pick up with every time you see them?"

"My brothers, a little," Kai replied. "But they're all older than me, so it's not quite the same."

"No one your own age?"

He shrugged. "I have a half-sister who's close to my age. I see her sometimes."

"I grew up as the only child in the Library," Irene said. "I made friends at school, of course, but I couldn't tell any of them the truth of where I was from."

"What about other Librarians?"

"I don't know," Irene sai slowly. "I have acquaintances, of course. People I like. But somehow none of those relationships ever carried over into real friendships."

The sound of laughter on the other side of the table caught her attention. She looked over to see Ian leaning in close to Ada, whispering something in her ear that was causing her to giggle uncontrollably. Vale was leaning back, watching them with a mixture of affection and wistfulness and something Irene couldn't read. Eyes still on Vale, she reached out and took Kai's hand, pulling it down below the table and holding on tight.  
Dinner ended early that night, with everyone aware that the next day would be long. Irene, Kai, and Vale spread out and checked the entire house, looking for danger and finding none. At least, with every reasonable precaution taken, Irene and Kai retreated to their beds, leaving Vale to his watch.

***

Irene woke after what felt like only a few minutes. She lay still for a moment, straining for any noise or disturbance that might have woken her, and heard nothing. Finally, she flipped on a light and checked her watch. There were only a few minutes left until she was meant to relieve Vale, so she forced herself out of her warm bed and pulled on some clothes, then went downstairs so that Vale could get some rest.

She found him at the big window in the parlour, hands clasped behind his back, staring out into the falling snow beyond. He looked so pensive that for a moment, Irene hesitated in the doorway, reluctant to disturb him. Then curiosity and concern got the better of her and she stepped into the room.

"Winters." Vale greeted her without turning around. "You're right on time." Well, it was Vale. Of course he'd known she was there. He'd probably heard her halfway down the hall.

"Has everything has been quiet so far?" Irene asked, joining him at the window.

"Not even a stray shadow," Vale replied absently. "I'd have summoned you and Strongrock if anything had been amiss."

Despite the late hour and Irene's arrival, Vale made no move to leave, instead continuing his surveillance of the landscape outside. Irene studied him out of the corner of her eye, noting how much his mood had shifted, and trying to work out what was bothering him. Was it simply their continued failure to figure out who was behind the notes and the attacks? Concern for his friends and the attempted interference with their happiness? Or was something else going on?

A wild thought occurred to her. Surely Vale was not--was there any chance he was secretly in love with Ada? (Or Ian, her mind suggested practically. Irene knew from experience that Vale didn't lean exclusively in that direction, but she didn't know enough about his personal life to state conclusively that he had no interest that way at all.) She flashed back to his expression at dinner while gazing at the spouses-to-be, that mix of love and wistfulness that she'd found so affecting, and to his tenderness when comforting Ada. Was that just friendship, or was there more there?

But Vale had known both Ian and Ada for years, since their youthful days at university, and he was not a particularly shy man, nor an inexperienced one. If he had had serious intentions toward either of his companions, Irene thought he would have made his interest known. Unless, of course, he knew there was no chance of reciprocation. On the other hand, it could also be any number of other things: another case, or some news about his family, or concern about the presence of Fae.

Irene kept her gaze focused on the window, turning over the possibilities in her mind, wondering how best to phrase the question in a way that wouldn't seem like prying.

Before she could decide, Vale broke the silence. "How does marriage work for Librarians?"

Was it about Ada and Ian after all, then? "What do you mean?"

He turned slightly, letting her see more of his face in what she suspected was a desire to see hers. "You travel between worlds, and from what you tell me, only a handful of Librarians linger for more than days or months in a single place before they move on. I've also gathered, given your stated age, that you have some means of arresting the aging process, perhaps while in your Library, which means that even if you were to form a connection with someone, somewhere, and you were to return to visit them, they would quickly outstrip you in apparent years--and perhaps die while you still retained your youth. Even friendship must be a struggle, outside of your own circle."

"It can be," Irene agreed. "As for marriage"--she hesitated momentarily, knowing just how important marriage was to a respectable woman's status in Vale's world, then plunged ahead--"most Librarians don't marry. We may enter into short-term relationships on worlds we visit, but those rarely last past our departure. The few Librarians who do marry tend to marry other Librarians." Like her parents, who, if they weren't married--Irene was a little short on the details of that--were as good as married. "In fact," she added, "the Library tends to prefer people who don't have family. Family outside of the Library can leave you…vulnerable."

Vale nodded--whether in comprehension or agreement, she wasn't sure. "And no doubt your Library appreciates the unadulterated loyalty that arises from the lack of outside attachments," he observed dryly. "Though Strongrock seems to have been an exception to that rule."

"I don't think they knew about his family at first," Irene said. "And later--well, I think it was assumed that dragons could largely take care of themselves." Although, on further reflection, she rather shuddered to think of what might have become of the Library if someone had tried to use one of Kai's kin as leverage against him the way Evariste's daughter had been used.

"I long believed that for someone with a true vocation, marriage could only be a distraction," Vale said. He'd returned to his contemplation of the window, which hid his expression but not the tension across his shoulders.

"And now?" she prompted.

He sighed. "I don't know. You and Strongrock are the most constant friends I've had in many years, and that friendship has forced me to face certain facts about myself--things that I had, perhaps, pushed aside. I thought I was immune to all but the lightest need for human companionship, so long as I had the stimulation of a good puzzle, and now it occurs to me that I may have been missing out on some vital aspect of life. When I see Keir with Claremont, or you and Strongrock together--" He shook his head as if to dismiss the entire notion of loneliness.

"I was the same way," Irene said quietly. "I used to believe that any sort of relationship was best avoided, because connections with other people were always messy and complicated." And she'd continued to believe that until Coppelia had forced Kai on her, and fate had thrust Vale on them both. Would probably still believe it if she hadn't met the two of them.

"Yes," Vale said slowly, "I believe we're rather similar in that regard, Winters. Though you at least have parents you can respect."

"Yes," Irene agreed, "but I haven't seen them in years, and when I do see them, we have nothing to say to each other." Even the occasional email was a struggle.

"That was always the other issue," Vale said.

"The other issue?"

"Children. Most women want them, in the context of a marriage."

"And you don't."

He gave her a severe look. "You know my family history, Winters. How could I inflict that on an innocent child? The unfortunate connections, the hereditary insanity--"

And the Fae ancestry that Vale never acknowledged, except indirectly. "Your family produced you," Irene said. "Clearly your bloodline isn't all bad."

"I was fortunate. It doesn't follow that a child of mine would share in that good fortune."

Perhaps she ought to force the issue. "I think upbringing probably weighs more heavily than bloodline when it comes to moral choices," she said. "I also don't think--the Fae aren't inherently evil, you know. You and Kai both hate them, and I'm not especially fond of most of them myself, but their touch doesn't automatically make something bad."

"No, it just turns men into puppets," Vale said bitingly, "dancing for the pleasure of the Fae, to the beat of whatever story they have chosen to immerse themselves in."

Irene waited.

Vale drew in a deep breath and let it out again slowly. "My apologies, Winters. I know your intentions are good, though I'd suggest to you that my behaviour tonight is evidence in support of my own argument. Nonetheless, while my bloodline may be irrevocably tainted, I will concede the point that that isn't the inevitable outcome of Fae ancestry. After all, Falkirk has Fae in his blood, and his family has turned out fine."

"Lady Ada is part Fae?" Irene asked in surprise.

"Yes, through her father's grandmother. As I understand it, that lady's chosen archetype was slightly more tolerable than many, though of course she was typical Fae in other respects."

"Does Ian's grandmother know about this?" Irene asked, her mind flashing back to the sharp comments that Dowager Lady Ancram had made about the Fae that first night at dinner.

"I would imagine so. Noble bloodlines do tend to be tracked, and that particular marriage was a rather notorious one in its time. The lady ended up leaving the marriage, and quite possibly this world, while her children were still young."

"I got the impression that Lady Ancram doesn't much care for Fae. It seemed...personal."

Vale looked thoughtful for a moment, as if searching his memory, and then his gaze sharpened. "I'm a fool, Winters. You're right, of course. There was an incident in her youth; her older brother became enchanted by a Fae, some hero-type, swore fealty, and disappeared shortly afterward--lost or dead, but no body was ever recovered."

Like Lord Silver's servants, Irene thought. Trapped forever in that alternate, chaotic Venice--or least until they could find another Fae to bring them home.

"I hadn't thought to look that far back," Vale continued, "but if she carries a grudge, it certainly gives her sufficient reason to oppose the marriage." He paused, analyzing how this new information, piecing the puzzle together. "The notes and the dress both seem like they could be her work. She knows Keir and Claremont well enough to know what kinds of threats to make, and she had access to the dress--or to servants who could be sent to destroy the dress. And I think we can tentatively agree that she did not attempt to kill her own grandson. But the laboratory seems more like the work of the note-writer than of the shooter, given the target and the lack of intentional harm, and I hardly think she's equipped to have done that."

"No," agreed Irene, mind drifting to another person who also hated the Fae and loved Ian. "But perhaps she had help."

***

It took them another hour to establish to Vale's satisfaction that Yihai had, indeed, been the one responsible for sabotaging Ada's laboratory. Most of the evidence-gathering consisted of waking servants to interview them: the stable master, to verify what time Yihai had arrived at the house; a gardener, who told them he'd seen Yihai outside before dinner; and the maid who'd cleaned his room and swept up some odd powder of a sort she'd never seen before.

Vale would have liked to have inquired as to meetings between Yihai and the Dowager Lady Ancram, but the dowager viscountess's servants were known to be fiercely loyal to her, and he conceded they were unlikely to gain any traction there.

Once they were as sure as they could be, they woke first Kai, and then Ian and Ada, explaining to each what they had discovered. Ian's heartbroken expression at the news cut Irene to the core.

"You're sure?" Ian asked.

"As sure as we can be," Vale replied. "But we'll need more evidence to act."

"You've been at this for weeks," Ada said. "If you, of all people, haven't found the evidence by now, Vale, I think we might have to assume there is no evidence to find."

"Actually, we have a plan," Irene said.

They went to Yihai's room first, after sending Ada and Vale on their errand. He answered their knock clad in a silk dressing gown, but studying him, Irene didn't think he'd been asleep. Insomnia? Guilt? Or another plan being set in motion?

"What's going on?" Yihai asked, looking from Kai to Ian to Irene in what Irene thought was quite an effective pretense of innocence.

"Tell me it's not true," Ian said, quietly, viciously, desperately. "Tell me you didn't do it. Tell me _she_ didn't do it."

Yihai frowned and took a tentative step toward Ian, one hand reaching out. "What are you talking about? Is everything all right?"

Ian jerked back. "Don't touch me."

"I think we should go downstairs," Kai intervened, placing a restraining hand on Ian's arm. "We need to have a conversation."

"Not unless you tell me what's going on," Yihai said.

"What's going on is that we know what you did," Irene told him. "And unless you want the rest of the guests to hear it too, you'll come with us."

They led him down to the library, where the four of them settled into the same comfortable chairs that she, Kai, and Vale had occupied earlier.

"Will you please tell me what's going on," Yihai said, a little desperately.

Kai was sitting across from Yihai, and somehow seeming to take up more space than he actually was, as if his presence were larger than his mere body. "We know you're the one who sabotaged Ada's laboratory."

Before Yihai could respond, Ian broke in. "You nearly killed her! How could you do that?"

"I di--" Yihai snapped his mouth closed at a sharp look from Kai.

"You don't have to confess," Irene said, hearing footsteps coming down the hall. "In a moment, we'll have all the evidence we need."

Yihai turned to look as Vale and Ada entered the room. Irene thought he turned a touch paler when he saw what Vale was carrying.

Vale set his burden down on the floor, and Ada knelt down beside it, a long, narrow tool in her hand. "Storm has a very good memory for people," she said, looking down rather than at Yihai, tool posed above the hound's neck. "Especially for people who hurt him." Before Yihai could speak, she switched the dog on.

Storm woke almost immediately. He lifted his head, looked around, and began sniffing the air. A moment later, growled, feet scrambling as he tried to stand.

Yihai sat frozen in his seat.

"Do we need to continue with the identification?" Kai asked, "Or are you satisfied with our proof?"

Yihai lifted his head and said nothing as Ada shut Storm down.

"How could you?" Ian asked again. "After everything we've been through, how could you do that to us? I thought we were _friends_."

Yihai finally broke. "I did it _for_ you," he said, meeting Ian's eyes straight on. "You deserve better than this. You deserve better than _her_." He spat the last word, voice full of contempt.

"Her?" Ian repeated. "I thought you liked Ada."

"That doesn't matter," Yihai said. "She's part Fae. Your children with her will be part Fae. And not only that, but did you know that she has been selling her devices to them?"

"What devices?" Ada asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "I don't believe I've sold anything to the Fae."

"Spy devices. Your father handles the sales. You just manufacture them."

Ada's face cleared. "The squirrels, you mean. But my father isn't trying to help the Fae; he's using those squirrels to spy on them, to tell us who and what the Fae are watching. They report to us before they report to the Fae. Well, to Intelligence Branch."

"So you're saying that this is all because of one of Ada's great-grandparents," Ian said. "Tell me, did my grandmother recruit you, or did you recruit her?"

"Probably the former," Vale said coolly. "I doubt he would have known Claremont's ancestry otherwise."

Yihai looked away from Ian, staring straight ahead, but Irene thought he looked a little less certain now. Being faced with the truth--and the emotional consequences of your actions--could do that to some people.

"I would like confirmation that my grandmother was involved," Ian said. "After that, well ..." He trailed off.

"After that, I think Mr. Markov will be going on a long trip," Kai said. He looked down at Yihai, suddenly seeming much taller than the other dragon. "Answer him," he said, command resonating in his voice.

Irene rather suspected that Kai hadn't given orders to anyone in his father's court more senior than a servant, but he'd clearly learned how. Yihai jumped in his seat, then turned back to Ian, actually looking at him for the first time since they'd entered the room.

"She was the one who told me. She knew that I was--she knew I had reasons to hate the Fae. She thought I would help her."

"Is she planning anything else before the wedding?" Vale asked.

"If she is, she hasn't said." He looked away again, unable to bear Ian's disappointed expression.

"Very well," Vale said. "I would have preferred to talk to her in the morning, as waking her is apt to be awkward, but if there might be another plot afoot--"

Ian stood up. "We'd better go now." He looked down at Yihai. "I assume you won't be at the wedding."

He left with Ada and Vale, none of them looking back.

"It's time you left this world," Kai told him. "I'll carry you away myself after the wedding. Until then, I'd like your word that you won't cause any more trouble."

"How can you stay here?' Yihai asked him.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're the son of a king. You could have real role at court. And yet you've chosen to exile yourself out here, among humans and Fae. Do you know what I would give--"

"That's enough," Kai said sharply. "You have no right to judge me or my choices."

Yihai looked at him, a new expression on his face. "You don't know me, do you, Your Highness?"

"Should I?"

"Well, we are kin," Yihai said. "Your mother and my mother are cousins."

Kai frozen, mentally tracing bloodlines. "I didn't realize," he said at last.

"Of course not," Yihai said. "Your concerns are with your father's court. Because you were lucky enough to have a high-born father to override your mother's lack of rank. I was not so fortunate. Some of us have to earn our way to the top."

"And you were," Irene said, "until you decided to interfere in human lives--not by giving them information so that they could make their own choices, but by taking their choices away from them."

***

It was well past three in the morning before both Yihai and the dowager viscountess had been fully dealt with. In the end, Falkirk was roused from his bed, and made the decision to assign some of his people to watch over both--a comfortable confinement until the wedding was over.

With that done, and knowing they could still be facing Fae in the morning, Kai sent both Vale and Irene back to their beds with the argument that he'd had the most sleep out of the three of them and could keep watch the rest of the night. Irene eventually acquiesced, but when she returned to bed, she found she couldn't sleep. Instead, she lay awake in the darkness, thinking about her earlier conversation with Vale, about marriage, and about her current relationship with Kai.

Vale, she knew, had been right in everything he'd said about Librarians and relationships. Maintaining any sort of serious relationship was impossible when a Librarian could end up on any world, and would age much more slowly than non-Librarians.

Unless, of course, that Librarian was in a relationship with an ageless being who had his own way of travelling between worlds, and who could find the Librarian no matter which world she happened to end up on.

Was that what frightened her about moving forward with Kai? The fact that it might actually work?

Or would it? Dragons, as far as she knew, didn't marry. Or at least the royal ones didn't seem to. They didn't seem to go in for monogamy, either. Every reference she'd heard had been to short-term relationships and mating contracts. Kings and queens companying for children, then dividing those children to raise in different courts--or occasionally mating with a low-born dragon, with similar results. How much of that was choice, she wondered, and how much was politics? Would Kai be expected to participate in that world one day, negotiating mating contracts of his own? Or would his mother's low status continue to offer him greater freedom than other royal dragons enjoyed?

And where did a human fit in? As a concubine of some sort? A member of Kai's household, valued and protected, but not equal?

Even apart from her oath to the Library, Irene couldn't imagine herself in that role.

Perhaps that was why she was struggling with what to do--the fear that a relationship with Kai would inevitably compromise her, one way or another.

Or perhaps it was the simple fear of losing him.

She was finally able to sleep after sternly reminding herself that she didn't have to make any decisions about Kai tonight, and soon fell into dreams that would have made her blush if Kai--or anyone else--had known about them.

***  
Ian and Ada's wedding day dawned cold and clear, with snow thick on the ground. Irene took care in dressing, adding as many weapons to her outfit as she thought she could get away with. Language was all fine and good, but sometimes nothing beat a good, sharp knife.

Vale and Kai, she noted, looked equally focused and prepared when the three of them met with Falkirk to go over the security plans. It all looked very thorough, but without knowing what form the attack would take, they had no way of knowing whether they'd covered the right angles.

Irene rode to the church with Ada, her mother, her sister, and two cousins she didn't know while Kai escorted Ian, Lord and Lady Falkirk, and Ian's sister. The clockwork horses--and a few regular horses--had been hooked up to enclosed sleighs and converted carriages, and were now gliding across the ice one after another in a long train.

"How do you feel?" Irene asked Ada. 

"Excited," Ada said. "Nervous. Happy. Worried about what else might come up."

"Don't be," Irene told her. "Let us worry about that.

"No, it's good," Ada said. "It keeps me from being nervous about the wedding ceremony itself."

"Then worry," Irene said, "but not too much." She glanced out the carriage window, and caught sight of something moving. Something white. "How much further?" she asked, keeping her voice level. There was no point in panicking everyone else.

It didn't work for long. "We're nearly there," Lady Falkirk told her. "Why--oh." She, too, looked out the window, and saw what Irene had seen.

"Are those snowmen?" Ada asked in astonishment, following their gaze.

"They certainly look like it," Irene said. She wished that she'd somehow thought to pack a laser gun, or maybe a blowtorch, instead of her usual sturdy knife.

"They're gaining on us," Lady Falkirk said. Her voice was calm, but the hand holding back the curtain was shaking.

"Who attacks a wedding with snowmen?" one of the cousins--Miriam, Irene's mind filled in--demanded.

"Fae," Irene replied, mentally flipping through snow-related Fae archetypes. Snow queen, maybe? Or some sort of ice--something? She couldn't recall any ice myths off the top of her head, and made a mental note to spend some time reviewing Scandinavian fairy tales when she got back to London.

She wondered if Kai and Vale had spotted them. She had to assume they had, but there was no way to be sure and no way to warn them until the train of carriages stopped.

They'd nearly made it to the church when the snowmen overtook them and attacked. Long twig arms reached inside the carriage, forcing the horses to stop abruptly. Irene responded with her knife, cutting off chunks of the twigs until they withdrew.

With the immediate threat dealt with, she stuck her head outside, trying to see what was happening with the other carriages. Most seemed to be facing one or two snowmen, and a few had managed to keep going, avoiding any attack, but Ian and Kai's carriage was surrounded. The snowmen clearly had a target, and Ada wasn't it.

Irene handed Ada her knife, told her to keep going until she got to the church, and climbed out of the carriage. She immediately sank to her knees in the snow. " **Snow, freeze until you can support my weight,** " she ordered, trying to pitch her voice loud enough for the snow to hear, but not so loud that occupants of the carriage heard her. A crackling sound came from the ground ahead of her. Cautiously, Irene pulled one foot from the snow and stepped forward. This time, the snow held.

Step by careful step, she made her way Ian's carriage. Around her, other carriages were fighting off their individual attackers and resuming their journey to the church, though a couple had stayed behind, the men spilling forth from the carriages to come to Ian's defense.

Kai was outside now, fighting the snowmen hand to hand, while from within the carriage gunshots sounded each time a snowman reached inside, causing snowball heads to fall apart. The other men began to join the fray, pushing back against the snowmen, but it was clear the snowmen were stronger.

" **All snowballs, fall apart** ," Irene ordered when she was close enough to be heard. The snowmen surrounding the carriage collapsed into white clumps.

"We need to get everyone inside the church," Irene said to Kai. "We can figure out our next step from there." He nodded in agreement.

With half the snowmen gone--and Irene quietly destroying more as she encountered them--it was fairly easy to get the remainder of the carriages moving again. Kai borrowed a rifle from Lord Falkirk, and took careful aim through the window at the snowmen who followed, forcing them back long enough for everyone to reach the church.

People spilled forth from the carriages as soon as they stopped moving--and sometimes before--pouring into the welcome, snow-free warmth of the church. Irene counted heads as they entered, watching to make sure that everyone got inside. When the last carriage was empty, she looked around, and then checked as she realized one person was missing.

Kai had noticed the same. "Where's Vale?" he asked.

"I'm here," called a voice. Vale emerged from behind the church, gliding along gracefully, having somehow found a pair of skis. In front of him, he pushed a dark-haired man who stumbled in the snow--not a wedding guest, and also very clearly not a Fae.

"You'd best get Keir and Claremont," he said. "And Falkirk too. They're all going to want to hear this."

Irene rounded up the bride, the groom, and the bride's father while Kai explained to the waiting audience that there was going to be a short delay. People actually applauded when he was done, and Irene made a note to borrow Kai the next time she had to do any sort of public speaking.

Vale had commandeered the priest's office with his prisoner. Irene and Kai led the other three in, then closed the door.

Ian's eyes widened when he saw who Vale had brought in with him. "Taylor? What are you doing here?"

"That's a very long story," Vale said. "The short version is that Mr. Taylor is responsible, along with the Fae, for trying to kill you several times, including when you went shooting and today."

Ian looked more puzzled than angry. "But why? We haven't seen each other since we left school."

"I believe you'll find that Mr. Taylor is spying on Britain for the Fae," Vale replied, "and has been for quite some time."

"But why would he think Ian knew that?" Ada asked. "And why try to kill him for it?"

"Because it started back when we were in school together," Vale said. "I imagine there was some minor encounter--you saw him with someone he shouldn't have been seen with or some such. You placed no significance on it and soon forgot, but he assumed you knew what it meant and that you were choosing to keep quiet for your own reasons--sympathy to his cause, or loyalty to him, or for future blackmail purposes. And then once you decided to marry the daughter of the Home Secretary--" Vale let them fill in the rest of the scenario for themselves.

"That's ridiculous," Ian said. "I would have reported you a long time ago if I'd known."

"What's even more ridiculous is that we already knew," Falkirk said. He looked down at Taylor contemptuously. "Did you really think we didn't know? Did you think you could fool us? We've known for years, boy. We've been feeding you wrong information ever since you joined the ministry. If you'd kept your head down, you could have had a few more good years of it before we got you for treason. But now you're going to go down for attempted murder."

Taylor looked up at him and finally spoke. "I think you'll find I have value for the Fae."

"You think you're worth a trade, do you?" Falkirk said. "I guess we'll find out. But first, I have to go give my daughter away."

***

With the threats eliminated, Irene and Kai opted to sit at the back during the ceremony, leaving the closer benches for Ada's and Ian's friends and family members.

"Do you know, I've never been to a wedding before," Kai said as they watched the couple exchange rings.

"Neither have I," Irene admitted. "Unless you count the weddings I've crashed to steal a book."

"I don't think those count," he said, "since I'm guessing you don't usually stay for the dancing in those cases."

"Not usually," Irene agreed. "Is that why you stayed today?"

"Maybe," Kai replied noncommittally. "Why? Do you like to dance?"

"That depends on who with." She suspected Kai was a very good dancer. He'd probably studied it from a young age.

"I'll keep that in mind at the reception," he said.

They rose as the wedding party began retreating down the aisle.

"Have you ever thought about it?" he asked Irene as they followed the crowd out of the church.

"Thought about what?"

"Getting married."

"Not really," she said honestly. Her childhood dreams had focused on other things. Advancing to full Librarian. Helping a Great Detective solve cases. Discovering a new Shakespeare or Faulkner or Murakami that no one in the Library knew about.

"No?" Kai flicked a sideways glance at her. "Have you ever thought about having a non-marriage relationship?"

His tone was casual, but Irene knew him well enough to hear the hope hidden below. Actually, it was possible she knew Kai better than she knew any other person alive. She wondered what that said about her. Or about them.

"It would depend on the relationship," she said, half serious and half teasing, but unable to keep the smile out of her voice. "Librarians have a lot of problems with relationships, you know. Other people age faster than we do, we're constantly travelling to new worlds..."

"That all sounds very surmountable to me," Kai said. "With the right person, of course."

"With the right person," Irene said.

"Good," said Kai, offering her his arm as they came to the threshold of the church. "Then we agree."

"I guess we do," Irene said. Then left the church together and went to congratulate the newlyweds.

**Author's Note:**

> Story title from "Variation on the Word Sleep" by Margaret Atwood.


End file.
